Testament Winery: All About The Babić

Near the end of our two week tour of Croatia, after we visited Istria, we journeyed to Dalmatia, the final wine region of our trip. On my first journey to Croatia, I spent all of my time in the region of Dalmatia, but on this visit, I checked out a couple wineries I didn't visit previously.

Our first stop was the Testament Winery, located in Northern Dalmatia near the medieval city of Šibenik, on the coast of the Adriatic. It's owned by a Swedish corporation, Zhoda Investments, which also owns the Merga Victa ("Black Island") Winery on the Croatian island of Korčula. Testament Winery was established in 2017, so it's a relatively new winery, but the region has over 2000 years of winemaking history. The name "Testament" was chosen "as a testimony to the ancient wine producing past." 

The manager and winemaker at Testament is Juraj Sladić (pictured above), who previously worked at Korlat Winery. He is young, one of the new generation winemakers in Croatia, bringing much energy and passion to this winery. Juraj is running this winery like a small, boutique winery, concentrating on quality wines made from indigenous grapes, rather than a like large, corporate operation churning out inexpensive, bulk wine. Juraj was down-to-earth, personable and very interesting. 

The winery owns about 50 hectares of organic vineyards, primarily Babić, but also native grapes such as Tribidag, Plavac Mali, Debit, Marastina, and Lasina. In addition, the property has 25 hectares of olive trees, of native varieties, and the winery makes their own olive oil. The grape vineyards were previously owned by farmers who sold their grapes, although some of the land was replanted from 2007-2012. The soils are mostly limestone, so machines were necessary to break through the rock and prepare the soils. Their yields are only about .5-.75 kilogram per plant, and they are working on building a new irrigation system, especially because of the problems of climate change.

The capacity of their winery is about 300,000 liters, but their annual production is only about 200,000 bottles, and they are exporting to about 20 countries, including the U.S. They have received some money from the European Union to assist in the construction of a new winery, tasting room, and a restaurant (which will be situated atop a nearby hill). Juraj stated, it is "Most important to make good wines that reflect terroir." 

Juraj clearly has a deep passion for Babić, also known as Rogoznička, whose origins are unknown although it's related to Plavac Mali. It has been grown in Dalmatia for hundreds of years, although currently it's grown in only about 4% of Croatian vineyards. One of the best regions for this grape are said to be the hills of Primošten, and at Testament, the Babić is generally grown in different positions than in Primošten. The grape does best with lower yields, in less fertile soils, such as limestone soils, forcing it struggle. It also is age-worthy, and can benefit from some time in oak. Juraj produces several different types of Babić wines, from Sparkling to Dessert. 

There was a "myth" that Babić wasn't appropriate for Sparkling Wine, so Juraj took up the challenge to produce one, making his first one in 2019. We began our wine tasting with the 2020 Testament Opolo Babić Sparkling Wine Brut Nature, which is made from 100% Babić, harvested at the end of August, and has an 11% ABV. The term "Opolo" is a historical name for "Rosé" in Croatia. Made in the méthode champenoise, using only free run juice, the wine spent 12 months on the lees, and the bottles were all hand riddled. Juraj has been experimenting with aging the wine on the lees for 24-36 months. About 4K-5K wines of this bubbly were produced. 

With a fine golden yellow color, and small bubbles, the Sparkling Wine had an appealing fruity aroma, and on the palate, it was crisp, dry, refreshing and fruity, with tasty apple and pear notes (and a subtle hint of red berries), and a backbone of minerality. A fine aperitif, it would also pair well with a variety of foods. Juraj also has a future plan to make Sparkling Wine from the Debit grape. 

Of course we were served a plate of meats, cheese, dips and veggies with our tasting. 

We got to taste the 2021 Testament Selekcija Olive Oil, pressed from organic Oblica olives, the oldest olive varietal in Croatia and constituting about 75% of all olive trees in Croatia. I found the olive oil to be fruity, with subtle grassy notes, and a bit of a bitter finish. It possessed a very clean taste too. 

The 2021 Testament Opolo Babić Rosé is made from Babić grapes that were harvested about a week later (in late August) than the other Babić grapes. It possessed a light pink color, which is a challenge with the Babić grape. With an 11% ABV, and using only free run juice, the wine is dry and crisp, with bright strawberry and raspberry flavors and a streak of minerality. Easy drinking and delicious, this would be an excellent summer wine, although it would pair well with a variety of foods as well. The label for this wine is intended to be a double label, representing both a traditional and modern approach.

The 2021 Testament Debit, with a 13% ABV, is produced from an indigenous Croatian grape, although some claim its origins may actually be in Italy. It is primarily grown in Northern Croatia, especially near  Šibenik. There's a legend that the grape acquired its name during the Napoleonic Wars, when Napolean's army occupied the region and demanded taxes from the residents. The poor people couldn't afford to pay their taxes in cash, so they paid in wine instead. Debit can produce Sparkling wines as well as amber/orange wines. I'll note too that this wine label is different from the previous wine. It was meant to be a temporary label but when people really liked it, the winery decided to keep it.

This wine saw only stainless steel, no oak. The Debit was delicious, with a nice intensity and complexity, presenting flavors of apple and citrus, herbal notes, and a prominent minerality and saline aspect. Another fine wine for the summer, as well as food pairings. 

The 2021 Testament Pošip was produced to be different from the wines of Korčula, the home of Pošip. Juraj wanted the wine to express the terroir and grape variety. The grapes were harvested in mid-August, about 20 days before the usual harvest on Korčula. This wine also saw only stainless steel, and it was fresh, bright and crisp, with tasty stone fruit flavors and a prominent minerality. This would be great with oysters! 

As a comparison, we next sampled the 2021 Black Island Dalmatian Dog Pošip. Merga Victa, the Black Island Winery, was established on Korčula in 2018, with their vineyards located on the outskirts of Smokvica, the birthplace of Pošip. The winery's name was inspired by the ancient Greek name for the island, Korkyra Melaina, which translates as "Black Korčula." The Dalmatian dog was chosen by the CEO of Zhoda Investments, and the Dalmation, which is native to Croatia, is said to be the only dog that smiles by showing his teeth. Compared to the Testament Pošip, this wine was more aromatic, with notes of grapefruit and lemon, and less minerality. It was also richer, with more body to it. My personal favorite of the two was the Testament.

The 2021 Magna Victa Rosé, with a 12.5% ABV, is a blend of 60% Plavac Mali and 40% Plavina. It had a darker pink color, and was very aromatic, with fruity and herbal notes. On the palate, it was dry and crisp, and presented strawberry and raspberry notes, with herbal accents, especially on the finish. Easy drinking and tasty.

When I first saw this bottle, I noted how large and heavy it was, and Juraj mentioned that in Croatia, such bottles are seen by many people as signifying quality. The 2018 Testament Zenith Pošip was named Zenith, as it means the "highest peak of inspiration." Its origins began out of a vinous tragedy, which Juraj turned into an opportunity. He once had 20 tons of Pošip to crush, but the press broke after pressing only 5 tons. Juraj almost left the winery at that point, but decided instead to pay homage to his ancestors who produced "yellow wine," skin contact wines (or what we usually refer to as orange/amber wines). He also noted that the Šibenik region has a history of yellow wine.

The Pošip grapes were macerated on the skins for about 21 days, aged for 6 months on the lees in oak barrels, and ha a 13% ABV. Juraj produced about 15K bottles, noting that it would easily age for at least 10 years. With a bright orange color, the wine was deep, intense and complex, with strong tannins, a bright minerality, some citrus and dried fruit notes, herbal accents, and a lengthy, pleasing finish. An excellent and delicious wine. Highly recommended. 

The 2019 Magna Victa Posip Sur Lie, with a 13.5% ABV, was produced with only a couple hours of skin contact, and then fermented in large oak barrels, sur lie, for about 24 months. The barrels were equal portions of Slavonian, French and American oak. Only 2K liters of this wine were produced. It was in a more modern style, rich with a strong oaky and buttery nature, so it wasn't my personal preference. 

The 2019 Testatment Babić, with a 13.5% ABV, is made in a more traditional style, from older vines, with some skin contact, and about six months in French and American oak. It was a bit tight, and could use more time in the bottle. With a medium red color, it had juicy black fruit, black cherry and raspberry, with firm tannins, high acidity, a hint of spice and some minerality. Last year, the winery sold 10,000 bottles in their wine shop, and this wine was their #1 best seller. Another very good food wine, from burgers to pizza, steaks to a hearty pasta dish.

The 2017 Testament Plavac Mali, with a 15% ABV was also placed into a heavy bottle. They only have three hectares of this grape. The wine saw 10 days of skin contact, 14 months in new oak (French and American), and 1 year in the bottle. Their Plavac Mali grapes create wines that are different those in southern Dalmatia. Juraj is friends with Josip Volarevic, another young and talented winemaker who has an intense passion for Plavac Mali, and they share similar winemaking philosophies. 

This was an impressive wine, very elegant and complex, with soft tannins, ripe plum, black cherry, and blackberry flavors, with hints of spice and minerality, and a lengthy, pleasing finish. Highly recommended. Juraj also noted he would like to create a Super Dalmatian blend, composed of Babić, Tribidag, and Plavac Mali.  

We ended our tasting with the 2018 Testament Babić Prošek, a sweet dessert wine. Prošek is a traditional Dalmatian sweet wine, made from dried grapes. The grapes for this wine were dried on the vine, harvested around mid-November. With a 14% ABV, the wine had 10 days of skin contact and was aged for 24 months in oak. The wine had a dark red color, and on the palate, there was a well balanced sweetness, and intriguing flavors of figs, dried fruits, subtle spices and a touch of chocolate. 

Juraj also produces a line of "Coral" wines, which are aged underwater in the Adriatic Sea. In general, the wines kept about 25 meters below the sea, with 3 bars of pressure, cold temperatures and almost no light. Being underwriter speeds up the aging process, and Juraj keeps the coral on the bottles. These are very limited edition, and expensive, wines. 

A friendly winery dog.

Juraj Sladić is producing excellent wines at Testament Winery, especially with Babić, showcasing its potential as an important Croatian grape. He has clear passion and it's exciting that he's experimenting with new wines and styles. The winery may be owned by a large corporation, but it's run as a small, boutique winery. A number of their wines are available in the U.S. too, through Croatian Premium Wine Imports.